Yes, it has only occurred in mice, and the treatment would involve wounding the scalp to stimulate new growth. But for the estimated 50 million balding American men, it means something else: hope.

Men's Health talked with Dr. George Cotsarelis, M.D., associate professor in the dermatology department at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine, and the author of the study, which appeared in the journal Nature.

Here's what he says the research means for men today.

What is new about your findings?
The most surprising thing this study found was a challenge to the dogma that no new hair can grow in adults. What we've discovered is that we can, in fact, create a receptive environment for the reformation of hair follicles. This is important because the current market products -- Minoxidil and Propecia -- only help save the hair you've got. This process is unique in that it regenerates hair follicles. Theoretically, it will help those guys that are currently bald -- and even those that have been bald for a really long time.

How does it work?
We found that the process of wounding the skin on mice, or derm abrasion, when doubled with the presence of a gene called “wnt,” created an environment where hair regenerated. There was a reprogramming that happened where hair didn't emerge from existing follicle cells, but instead from epidermal cells.

How long before men can undergo this procedure?
This will go into clinical trial in a year or two. I'm working with a company -- Follica, Inc. – that will try to develop a procedure for finding the best ways to disrupt the skin and produce an environment for hair regeneration. Right now, people are paying $5,000 to $10,000 for hair transplants. We're focusing on a procedure one day that will not be so outrageous.

So you've done it -- you found the fountain of youth. For hair, at least.

We haven't found the all-out cure for baldness, but we now have some hope in terms of understanding the molecular process behind hair regeneration. This may very well result in a new form of treatment. We're making advances, yes. But my greatest fear is that guys will read this and start scraping their heads trying to grow hair. The best thing I can tell those guys? Don't try this at home. Please.

How did you come up with this approach for growing hair?The most interesting part to all this is that we're looking at science that was first observed back in the 1950's. Albert Kligman, the inventer of Retin-A, noted long ago the formation of new hair follicles in his research. Problem is, no body believed him. Today, fortunately, we have the molecular technology to prove what he knew: new hair follicles can -- and will -- grow in the right environment.

Should this have any interest for guys who aren't bald?
The future for this research lies in understanding molecular pathways. We're hoping to generalize a bit -- applying this to burn victims and amputees. The future for this research may lie in the regeneration of other digits or limbs. The more we can understand about why this happens, the more we can apply this to other issues.